QUESTION:
Who was the man that inspired you to become a musician?
ANSWER:
i was the man who inspired me to become a musician...from a very young age, when i found i could sing, i felt a powerful urge to compose my own material...but i didn't find inspiration only in music, i was inspired by writers, film directors, and by artists in myriad fields of expression...when elton john began his career, and did so playing piano, the music scene was basically comprised of guitar oriented bands...but his entry into the world of music opened up a different set of possibilities for me as a pianist, singer and songwriter...so, in that sense, elton had a lot to do with me believing that piano was a viable instrument for pop compositions...other than that, i loved the music of stevie wonder, genesis, peter gabriel, joni mitchell, cat stevens, queen, the blue nile, and so many others...

QUESTION:
When did you start professionally writting music?
ANSWER:
i began writing when i was about 15 years old...at the very start i was more of a composer than a lyricist but that would change with time...i began to get paid for my performances when i was 20 years old, and had started working as a full-time musician...chris (spheeris) and i were playing in a restaurant five nights a week and attending university during the days...we began recording LP's with our compositions as of 1978.

QUESTION:
Why you did not record any of your music works in Greece?
ANSWER:
actually, i DID record an album in greece...it was for minos-emi and was called "in the movies"...it took quite a while to record and after the first version was done, there was a consensus to change the approach and mixes and we brought in the musicians of "socrates" (nikos antipas, antonis tourkogiorgis, and yiannis spathas) to create the second version of the record...though i love creating and recording, the circumstances in athens, and recording for a "major" label, made the experience a less than pleasant one...

QUESTION:
It is known that you are collaborating with Chris Spheeris in many of your works. When and how this collaboration begun?
ANSWER:
chris has been my life-long friend, since we were 13 years old, when we met at american community schools in halandri...at that early age we used to sit together and play guitars and sing cat stevens, james taylor, carole king, and seals and crofts songs...later, when we were attending our respective universities (in different cities) chris would send me lyrics and i would write the music, sing the songs, and then send them back to him on casettes ....this was the start of what would very soon become our mutual and independent careers...

QUESTION:
One of your songs, with Chris Spheeris, enchantment is very popular in Greece. Was there a special reason for writting it or it was an inspiration of the moment?
ANSWER:
we were living in sedona, arizona, at the time and had been contracted by an independent record company in california to record an album...that album would end up being titled "enchantment" and the title song was created as part of that process...the record company went bankrupt three months after the record was released and that circumstance led to us opening our own label and instantly earning 500% more on each sale than we had when recording for the "majors"...performers and songwriters, heed this: if you can have a carreer without ever having to sign to a label, then DO SO!! record companies are not only NOT the panacea to songwriters' ills, they are quite often the CAUSE!

QUESTION:
What was the best and the worst moment of your career?
ANSWER:
the worst moments in my career have almost always been for lack of payment of royalties or outright theft of my compositions for use in advertising and synchronization of visual images...i'm sad to say that the only country in the world that has been consistently guilty of illegal practices and non-payment of advances and royalties to us has been greece...this is a very sore point with me, as a greek, and it angers me that i can be treated with the utmost of respect in countries such as turkey and singapore, and be robbed blind by the country of my genetic history... there have been numerous best points in my career and they continue to occur...performing my music with a symphony orchestra...seeing monetary and critical success with albums...creating an educational record for my daughter and seeing its influence in her development...in short, my career has been blessed with many, many wonderful moments...

QUESTION:
When was the last time that you visited Greece?
ANSWER:
i visit greece about twice a year and was just there this past month of july...my trips are a mixture of feldenkrais work (see below, in the interview) and vacationing with my daughter on the inimitable and stunningly beautiful greek islands...

QUESTION:
What do you think about contemporary Greek music and is there a singer or a group that you like most?
ANSWER:
i don't have enough exposure to contemporary greek music to give a balanced opinion... in short, the only greek music that moves me is GREEK MUSIC, not rehashed western music, greek rap, greek pop, and music made to sell records and not move souls...i've always liked dalaras, and love the manolis lidakis and eyanthia reboutsika albums i own...as far as "modern" greek music, many of the songs that were getting airplay when i was in greece this summer were complete "rip-offs" (plagiarism) of other, previous works, by international artists in other countries...despina vandis' (foibos?) recent single, i don't know the title, is a shameless copy of "she drives me crazy" by the fine young cannibals...which brings me to the point of why i've always preferred songwriters to performers...most songwriters that i know, and have known, are more interested in creating a unique, original way of saying something, and would do whatever necessary to NOT sound like everyone else...by contrast, most performers simply want a hit single and can give a shit if what they're signing is original, or not...after all, THEY didn't create the composition, so who cares if it sounds like something/someone else, as long as it makes them rich?

QUESTION:
What is your favorite food and drink?
ANSWER:
an organic, leafy green salad with ezekiel bread and a glass of pure, active water... (also, my perennial favorites, xorta, xtapodaki stin sxara, kritharaki, etc.)

QUESTION:
What is your latest music work and what should we wait in the near future?
ANSWER:
the latest musical work of mine was quite some time ago...i'm still very active in the music business as i own a recording studio in which many bands record...i also tour with doc severinsen, a very famous trumpet player (now 82 years old!) and engineer the live sound for his concerts...but i've also become a certified feldenkrais method® practitioner and that occupies most of my time...in fact, it's the reason i return to greece so often...

QUESTION:
Are you married?
ANSWER:
i've never been married...

QUESTION:
Do you have any children?
ANSWER:
emilia, my nine year old daughter, is the light of my life and my finest creation to date...i love being a father and am very, very active in the education, rearing, and development of my daughter...

QUESTION:
Why did you to choose to live in Mexico?
ANSWER:
when i decided i didn't want to live in the united states anymore, i knew that i wanted to live far from cities and, if possible, within a moderate flight from the music community of los angeles...i considered returning to greece but would not live in athens and didn't feel any of my other choices would have fulfilled my requisites...mexico is a wonderful place...the people are humble and kind...i live in the country, outside of a small town, with donkeys, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats, thermal hot springs, and a small pond/lake...i've planted hundreds of trees (now busy planting a grove of olive trees, true to my greek roots!) and have an organic garden to grow arugula, radikia, and other favorites...

QUESTION:
Do you plan to write another music work for your daughter except Emilia's notebook?
ANSWER:
no, i don't...that album was done with a specific purpose in mind and with a wealth of inspiration... unless i feel that i absolutely MUST communicate in the music medium, i'll continue to express myself through the many other projects and mediums that occupy my interests, time, and life...

QUESTION:
What is your advice for the new musicians?
ANSWER:
if you love what you do, you'll never have to work! i always used to joke that i was paid for moving my equipment but that i performed for free; for the pure joy of doing it...i still feel that way! be yourself and be unique and your work will (hopefully) find its way to the ears of the public... and, finally, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER sign away your publishing to anyone... performers are many (and they can make survival money wasting away in the skiladika) but those that create (songwirters) are few and their work should never be sold... there is (potentially) good money in publishing so DON'T sign it away to those who promise the world but deliver nothing....